Red Bull KTM factory riders completed Stage One of the 2013 Dakar rally on Saturday with a short timed special of just 13 km in a loop around Pisco, Peru after completing the 250 km liaison ride along the coast for the official start in the capital of Lima.

Title holder Cyril Despres last rider off the ramp at the start in Lima

Red Bull KTM factory rider and reigning title-holder Cyril Despres on Monday assumed his natural habitat at the head of the overall standings in the 2013 Dakar Rally. Despres, who finished third in Stage Three, vaulted from fifth overall into the premiere place on Day Three of this marathon event.

Four times Dakar winner Cyril Despres of the Red Bull KTM factory team continued to ride at his own pace in Tuesday's Stage Four on his KTM 450 Rally bike, sacrificing a few minutes to finish third in the overall standings but saving energy for the long and strenuous ride ahead.

Red Bull KTM's multiple Dakar winner Cyril Despres of France consolidated his position in third place in the overall standings after Stage Five of the Dakar Rally that saw competitors say farewell to Peru and cross the border into Chile.

Red Bull KTM's Cyril Despres delivered what was necessary in Stage Six of the 2013 Dakar Rally to finish third in what was one of the longest stages in this year's edition and to trim the deficit between him and the current overall leader to a mere 2:22 minutes.

Red Bull KTM factory rider Kurt Caselli (USA) took his first ever Dakar stage win on Friday, completing the 220 km timed special in 1:51:31 hour. Caselli is competing in his first Dakar Rally standing in for the factory team's injured Marc Coma.

After a difficult day on Friday in the Dakar 2013, Red Bull KTM Factory Rider and titleholder Cyril Despres managed to claw back some time in Stage Eight on Saturday, the last day before the one rest day in this mammoth 8000 km trek through a good slice of South America.

Teams and riders in the Dakar caravan spent Sunday working on their bikes and preparing for the second half of the 8000 km trip on a north-south trajectory from Lima to Santiago, Chile after what has been an eventful first eight stages that has left all options open.

Red Bull rider Cyril Despres put in a magnificent ride in Monday's Stage Nine of the Dakar 2013 when it resumed for the second half of this year's edition. The title-holder won the stage and moved into second overall while his factory teammate Ruben Faria of Portugal took control of the overall lead.

Red Bull KTM factory rider and title-holder Cyril Despres fought a close battle with Spaniard Joan Barreda in Stage Ten of the Dakar 2013 to finish just 1:15 minutes behind his rival. The French rider now to secure a narrow lead in the overall standings in front of factory teammate Ruben Faria of Portugal, who secured eighth place in the stage.

Teamwork was on the agenda for the Red Bull KTM Factory team in Stage Twelve of the Dakar 2013 when overall leader Cyril Despres worked with teammate and support rider Ruben Faria of Portugal to help him gain some overall time on KTM rival Chaleco Lopez, now racing on his home territory of Chile.